The number of engine hours is one of the most important parameters of agricultural machinery, which indicates the working life of the engine, chassis and other important nodes unit. For many beginners, it is not easy to calculate this characteristic, and even more so to convert it into kilometers. In fact, there is nothing complicated about this - just follow a series of tips that will help you understand the essence of this important parameter.
Give an answer to the question: "What is the engine hours on a tractor?" quite simple if you understand how this important parameter is fixed. With the direct start of the motor, an electronic or mechanical counter begins to work, fixing and storing the speed of rotation of the motor shaft. To do this, the design of the counter provides special indicator. This simple device makes it possible to calculate the duration of the tractor for a certain period of time.
At the same time, the opinion that one hour of tractor operation is equal to one hour of time will be erroneous. Calculation of engine hours in kilometers is done taking into account revolutions per minute. Due to this given parameter may differ several times when the tractor is operating on Idling and under high loads.
How many hours in one hour?
Calculating the hours spent by the tractor helps to understand the degree of wear of the most important moving mechanisms unit.
The formula used for the calculation is extremely simple, and gives the tractor owner the following data:
- when operating an agricultural machine at idle, 1 hour is equal to one full hour of real time;
- with a normal load on the tractor, one hour is accelerated by about a third, thus making 40 minutes of real time;
- in case of operation of the unit under maximum loads, 1 hour is equal to 20 minutes of real time.
Using this information, even a novice farmer can easily convert engine hours into real-time clocks. It should be remembered that the final result of converting motor hours to real time clock is always slightly different for gasoline engine and for diesel. The main reason for this is the higher power of the latter, which is why it spends a little less time on tasks.
Just as in the case of converting tractor hours into real-time clocks, beginners have difficulty converting hours into tractor kilometers traveled. In the second case, many more questions may arise, since it is almost impossible to accurately convert engine hours into kilometers - this can only be done relatively and approximately.
First of all, you need to remember that some manufacturers of agricultural machinery set almost identical conditions for calculating engine hours. In most cases, 50 of these units is equal to 5 kilometers traveled by the tractor under moderate loads. At the same time, if the tractor very often works under intense loads and regularly performs the functions of an assistant, both in the garden and in the adjacent territory, then the number of engine hours worked by it steadily grows upwards without significant changes in its mileage.
It is important to remember that each tractor consumes the motor resource embedded in its engine and other components in different ways. Find more accurate information about the features of the calculation of this important parameter can always be found in the operating instructions for the agricultural machine.
Memory can tell you more accurate data on hours worked and kilometers traveled on-board computer, however, this kind of device is provided exclusively in the most latest models tractors put on the market, and then only in large-sized units designed to work on vast territories.
Another important and no less common question is how to convert engine hours into machine hours. First of all, it should be clarified that it is almost impossible to do this, since engine hours and machine hours are essentially different concepts.
Motohour- this is a conditional value, which is determined taking into account the number of revolutions produced crankshaft tractor engine for a certain period of real time.
Machine hour- this is the amount of real time that had to be spent on the manufacture of a particular product. In the case of agricultural machinery, this parameter indicates the time spent on one or more actions - plowing the soil, harrowing, sowing seeds or planting tuber crops.
The calculation of machine hours, as a rule, is carried out by the authorized competent body of the agricultural enterprise. At the same time, the time spent on preparing the site, caring for the beds and transporting the crop is taken. The data obtained are summarized, after which the management receives data on the time that had to be spent on the implementation of the main agricultural work. Keeping such records allows the governing body to develop plans that will further help to reduce the time spent on growing their products.
It should be noted that the number of machine hours for gasoline and diesel engine always a little different. This is due to the fact that diesel engines have more power- this allows you to quickly perform certain agricultural work. This feature is one of the main reasons why most manufacturers agricultural machinery equip their units with diesel engines.
Often, machine hours become an explanation of how a tractor differs from a bulldozer. The fact is that the operation of the tractor, as a more maneuverable unit, gives the enterprise important advantage in the form of accelerated agricultural work. When using bulldozers, you have to spend much more time, which is why the latter are used in agriculture much less frequently.
A FEW years ago, according to the regulations, the interservice mileage for most models did not exceed 5,000 km. As technology improves and service life increases lubricants the interval between scheduled maintenance was extended first to 10,000, then to 15,000, and for some brands even up to 20,000 km. But then the process of increasing mileage between obligatory visits to the service stopped and even in some cases went into reverse side.
Dealers began to insist on more frequent maintenance vehicles, citing “particularly severe operating conditions”. Many clients did not believe them:
Let me tell you about difficult conditions you speak? The car does not drive through the Siberian taiga and not through the deserts of Central Asia. In general, it practically does not move off the asphalt and does not leave the limits big city! What's hard here? At the service, they deceive us, forcing us to undergo MOT more often than it was originally prescribed by the manufacturer!
In fact, the servicemen are not cunning at all. The operating conditions of cars in a modern metropolis are indeed, if not close to extreme, then at least they differ markedly from the calculated ones. This was clearly illustrated by our experiment.
We cost more than we go
EXPERIMENTAL became the editorial “ Ford Focus” 2003 release. On the odometer - almost 50,000 km. For a month, we recorded in detail the daily mileage of the car and, more importantly, the travel time with an accuracy of one minute. As soon as the engine started, the stopwatch immediately turned on. The data obtained was summarized in a table from which you can find out that, for example, on Thursday, March 29, the car drove 60.6 km, while it was on the road for 161 minutes. Thus, we received detailed information for each day of the experiment.
As a result, it turned out that the average daily mileage of the Ford was about 60 km. Knowing the travel time, you can calculate the average speed at which our Ford was moving when traveling around Moscow (we never went out of the city). Only 22.4 km/h. Not much at all, but all because most of the time he did not drive, but stood (of course, with the engine running) in traffic jams, at traffic lights, etc. IN best case the car trudged slowly in first gear in the “start-stop” mode, so that the speedometer needle barely moved near the zero mark.
If your vehicle has trip computer, then you can easily check this data even without the aid of a stopwatch. When traveling during peak hours in the same Moscow, your average speed unlikely to go much higher than 20 km/h. Let the flow speed be higher than the 60 km/h allowed in the city on separate sections x of the path, anyway, when calculating the average value, frequent and long stops will negate this gain.
The average speed at which our “experimental” car moved around the city during the month was only 22.4 km / h.
Mileage doesn't mean wear.
Exactly the same measurements we made on the second "Ford Focus", which, unlike the first, was operated almost in greenhouse conditions. During the experiment, he drove exclusively on weekends, when the roads are relatively free, and mostly outside the city. So, its average speed, calculated on the basis of the results of the month, was 44.7 km / h - almost twice as much as that of the first Focus.
Thus, it turns out that the conditional service interval- let's say 15,000 km - the first car will overcome in 670 hours, and the second - twice as fast, in about 335 hours. Feel the difference! When the time comes for the second car to go to the service again, the odometer of the first one will run only 7,500 km more. Does this mean that the main components and assemblies of a “city dweller”, according to the low mileage per month, will wear out half as much as that of a “country dweller”? No, of course! Rather, the opposite. Slowly moving in the “start-stop” mode, the car develops its resource faster than when driving moderately fast, but evenly.
With a ragged rhythm of driving, with frequent stops and starting off, the driver of a car in a metropolis clogged with traffic has to constantly shift gears and squeeze the clutch. He needs to stop more often, which means he needs to use brake mechanisms. The cooling system, devoid of intensive oncoming airflow to the radiator, operates at the limit of its capabilities ...
This list of components and assemblies that are subject to increased wear and tear can be continued further, but the main thing is that the engine of the first car with the same mileage will work twice as long as that of the second. And this means that the oil in the engine through the gaps piston group will be in contact with the products of fuel combustion for a longer time, oxidize more intensively and lose its properties faster. In other words, it will become unusable and will need to be replaced. The same applies to others consumables, up to brake pads.
Are we switching to motorcycle hours?
A similar state of affairs was not typical for cars. Another thing is some kind of agricultural or Combat vehicles, which during operation does not move so much and not too fast. No one has ever taken into account the mileage of combine harvesters and army tanks - to determine the resource they have worked out, they used the so-called engine hours, that is, the time that the engine worked in total. And the timing of scheduled maintenance is determined by them not by the mileage traveled, but by the number of hours.
The issue of diesel consumption is the most basic when purchasing special equipment with internal combustion engines.
Any device must be initially put on balance. Fuel is written off according to the existing regulatory documents. However, for special equipment there are no clear indicators of consumption per 100 km. Manufacturers, on the contrary, set the consumption per unit of engine power.
To determine and accurately calculate the formula, you must clearly know all the necessary components:
- N is the engine power, measured in kW;
- t is the fuel consumption time, i.e. 1 hour;
- G- specific consumption machine fuel, g/kWh;
- % - the percentage of the machine's workload during operation;
- p is the fuel density. For a diesel engine, the density is constant and is 850 grams per liter.
Engine power is mainly determined by horsepower. In order to find out the power in kW, you need to look at the technical documents from the manufacturer.
Specific fuel consumption is a measure of information about the consumption of the engine at certain loads. Such data cannot be found in the technical documents, they must be specified when purchasing or from authorized dealers.
The main component in the calculation formula is the percentage of equipment workload. It refers to information about operation of the internal combustion engine on maximum speed. The percentage is indicated by the manufacturer for each type of transport. For example, for some loaders based on MTZ, out of all 100% of the working time, the engine will work at maximum speed for about 30%.
Let's get back to specific spending. It is expressed in relation to the fuel consumed per 1 unit of power. Thus, to calculate everything in theory, for the maximum value, you must use the formula Q=N*q. Where Q is the desired indicator of fuel consumption for 1 hour of operation, q is the specific fuel consumption and N is the power of the unit.
For example, there is data on engine power in kW: N = 75, q = 265. For one hour of operation, such a unit will consume almost 20 kg of solarium. With this calculation, it is worth remembering that the unit will not work directly at maximum speed throughout the entire time. Also, the calculation is carried out in liters, so in order not to translate everything according to the tables and not make mistakes in the following calculations, it is necessary to use an improved calculation formula Q = Nq / (1000 * R * k1).
In this formula, the desired result Q determines the fuel consumption in liters per hour of work. k1 - is a coefficient indicating the operation of the engine at maximum speed crankshaft. R is a constant value corresponding to the fuel density. The rest of the indicators remain the same.
The coefficient of maximum engine operation is 2.3. Calculated using the formula 70% normal operation/ by 30% of work at higher speeds.
It is worth remembering that in practice, theoretical costs are always higher, since the engine runs at maximum speed only part of the time.
Calculation of fuel consumption of a walk-behind tractor
Many owners of summer cottages and not only they often wonder how it is possible to calculate the fuel consumption of a walk-behind tractor during a certain job.
It is possible to calculate the consumption of gasoline at a walk-behind tractor only during its direct operation. To do this, fill the fuel tank of the walk-behind tractor maximum level gasoline. Then you need to plow the land. Upon completion of plowing a certain area, it is necessary to measure the area of the plowed area. After that, calculate how much fuel was spent on plowing this area. Similarly for all other types of work (harvesting potatoes, mulching, mowing, etc.)
This case is calculated using electronic scales. A simple container with fuel is taken and its specific gravity is measured. Then taring is set on the balance. After that, you need to add gasoline to the tank to the previous level and the container with fuel must be reinstalled on the scales. Electronic scales will show the difference between canisters of fuel. This difference will be the final indicator of fuel consumption per area of land from which the work was carried out. Unlike the first case with special equipment, here fuel consumption is carried out in kilograms.
At the same time, it is worth remembering that the speed of the motor-cultivator should approximately be from 0.5 to 1 km per hour of work. Based on this, a general calculation of fuel consumption by the hour is made. According to the established standards, manufacturers of walk-behind tractors have data on the average fuel consumption per hour of operation. For low-power walk-behind tractors with a power of 3.5 hp. consumption ranges from 0.9 to 1.5 kg per hour of work.
Motoblocks of medium power consume an average of 0.9 to 1 kg / h. The most powerful devices consume from 1.1 to 1.6 kg per hour.
Fuel consumption rates per hour for diesel engines
Consumption rates diesel fuel for special equipment are on average with a simple transport mode 5.5 liters for 1 hour of work. When excavating soils in the first or second degree, the consumption is reduced to 4.2 liters per 1 hour of work.
If additional loading or unloading of these soils is made, then for all excavators based on MTZ, the consumption will be equal to 4.6 liters per 1 hour of work.
We are all used to standard forms of measurement, whether it be kilometers per hour or amperes per hour. But the pilots of small-capacity vehicles care about completely different indicators - engine hours. I don't think everyone knows what it is.
Oh come on, how many hours the motorcycle has worked for you and so many hours! - someone will say.
I confess that there was such an opinion with me, they say, how many minutes the engine rumbled, divided by 60 and got the number of hours - voul. But no. It is clear that what newer model technology, the more likely installed sensor, which ticks and counts engine hours. However, this in no way prevents amateurs from looking for comparisons and equivalents, saying that engine hours are how many kilometers or how many liters of burnt gasoline, how many times do you need to rush to the nearest village for salt so that engine hours run out?
Let's start with a simple one, it is useless to determine engine hours in kilometers, because measuring in the usual units of kilometers or miles is a banal mileage. Hence the first discovery, mileage and engine hours are completely different indicators. I’ll say more, not only motorcycle engines, but also many other small-capacity units for household purposes. But what about the equipment that moves little, which wears out its resource, and adds mileage with a gulkin nose? How are you going to measure in kilometers the lifespan of a welder or a compressor, for example? Is that how much we roll them around the garage, how many hours will pass? Moreover, measuring the engine resource by the distance traveled is a completely one-sided approach, even if I drive all the time in search of happiness, who said that the engine always runs at the same speed?
Hours are tied to the ratio of time and power. The engine hour passes for an hour of engine operation at its maximum capabilities, since wear in this case will be the most noticeable. And if you do not rape the engine, you have enough moderate speed, then the hour will pass for a longer period of time.
Once again, the engine hour is the wear rate per hour of work at the upper limit of the output power, if you want - the number of engine revolutions and the frequency of rotation, the higher they are, the sooner the hour comes to an end. During quiet operation, the resource is also wasted, but not so quickly, so you can drive to the desired coefficient in one hour longer at lower speeds than at higher ones. Hence such a frequent hassle with consumables on motocross-type motorcycles.
Here, with the amount of fuel used, in theory it can be calculated very, very relatively. Because the more aggressive the ride, the greater the consumption of gasoline, and this can be remotely related to engine hours by a couple of tens of light years.
What is this for?
Everything is trite. The resource is being developed, which means you need to mentally prepare for the replacement of consumables. The more hours measured, the closer the day X, when you have to do the inevitable MOT, change oils and much more. This is a very logical approach, because it is the nature of the operation of our motorcycle that will show how soon we will have to run to the store and fork out for new oils and consumables. After all necessary work, the clock is updated and can be counted again.
For each engine, these indicators are individual, in the manuals for the use of equipment it is necessary to indicate after what number of engine hours it is necessary to make replacements.
